The Artful Dodger Ending Explained: Jack Dawkins, Fagin, and the Thrilling Sequel Series in Australia
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The Artful Dodger presents a surprisingly lighthearted sequel to Charles Dickens’s classic, Oliver Twist, setting its action in the bustling, brutal, yet often comedic world of 1850s Australia. The show is described as "completely unserious," finding a game of fine balance between the brutalities of life and well-done comedy. The premise places Jack Dawkins, formerly known as the 'Prince of Thieves,' years after his canonical fate of being sent to the penal colonies, now working as a navy surgeon recommended to a hospital in Australia. The entire series acts as a counterbalance to the often dark and miserable dramatic powerhouses dominating contemporary television. The core conflict rests on whether Jack can shed his criminal skin and maintain a respectable life as a surgeon, a struggle severely complicated by the dramatic return of his estranged mentor, Norbert Fagin.
The Rogue and the Physician: Jack Dawkins’ Dual Identity
The series hinges on the push-and-pull struggle of Jack Dawkins (Thomas Brodie-Sangster). Having separated from Fagin fifteen years prior, after Fagin was unable to help him when he was jailed as a child, Jack carried significant resentment. He channeled the skills that once made him the 'Prince of Thieves'—his quick, expert hands—into becoming a talented surgeon. However, the opening scene immediately establishes his inability to entirely shake his past, showing him hurrying from gambling with criminals directly to amputating a patient’s leg.
The return of Fagin (David Thewlis), who "steals the show entirely," throws Jack’s legitimate life into chaos. Fagin deliberately sought Jack out in the Australian penal colony, initially waiting for punishment. To save himself, Jack takes Fagin under his wing as his convict servant. This reunion immediately leads to trouble, as Fagin is constantly seeking quick money, prompting schemes like stealing rubies and trying to rob Captain Gaines’ house.
Jack’s inner conflict deepens as he tries desperately to continue his life as a surgeon, but Fagin’s reappearance continuously involves him in criminal activities. The ultimate resolution of the season successfully puts a stop to the fight between Jack Dawkins’ opposite sides, culminating in him accepting both his past and present selves—the thief keeps him alive, while the surgeon makes him worthy of praise. The character development ensures that what Jack once saw as his "dark side" is what fundamentally made him who he is.
A Partnership of Skill and Schemes
The show excels when focusing on the dynamic between Jack and Fagin, with David Thewlis indulging in Fagin’s grime and greed and Brodie-Sangster matching his treachery. However, the show also introduces a crucial medical partnership that drives innovation and high-stakes drama: Jack Dawkins and Belle Fox.
Belle, an upper-class woman and aspiring surgeon, blackmails Jack into teaching her the trade, leveraging something she holds over him. While their eventual romance is viewed by one source as obligatory and sometimes lacking the weight of the serious parts of the story, their professional relationship is deeply compelling. Belle brings enormous theoretical knowledge, while Jack provides practical, fieldwork experience, bridging the difference in their philosophies.
Revolutionary Medicine in 1850s Australia
Working together, Jack and Belle manage to bring significant innovation to the hospital, despite initial resistance. They collaborate to introduce the use of anesthetics, which were previously forbidden. Belle also discovers methods to prevent infections in patients. Their joint efforts often involve manipulating the perpetually drunk Head Surgeon to ensure patients are in safer, more capable hands. This medical rivalry is sharpened by Jack’s competition with Dr. Sneed for the post of the next Head Surgeon. Sneed, although not inherently a bad person, tends to prioritize his selfish interests over patient welfare, creating an ethical challenge for Jack and Belle. Belle's partnership not only honed Jack's practice but also helped her understand the townsfolk’s needs more profoundly.
The Ultimate Betrayal and the Unexpected Villain
Jack and Fagin’s ceaseless schemes, often driven by gambling debts or greed, led them to continually call suspicion upon themselves, particularly from Captain Gaines. Their ultimate goal became robbing the gold from the Bank of England and escaping Australia.
The biggest twist, however, was the revelation that they were beaten to the gold by none other than Oliver Twist, who returns as the unexpected villain. Oliver, who was offered a life of comfort in the original Oliver Twist novel, has been entirely flipped, using his stealing expertise to inflate his ego and giving credit for his "evil genius" to Fagin’s upbringing. His arrival and subsequent theft formed a crucial mystery, as no one suspected him. Oliver worked with Darius, a customs officer, whose knowledge of the port made their plan feasible.
Gaines, obsessed with attributing every possible crime to Jack, threatened to hang Fagin unless he could deliver Jack to the gallows. This left Fagin with no choice but to seemingly betray Jack, repeating his actions from many years ago. However, Gaines’ fixation blinded him to Fagin’s own schemes, making him unaware that Fagin was investigating Oliver and Darius and was working with Red.
The High-Stakes Aneurysm Surgery
Simultaneously, Jack was presented with devastating personal news: Belle was prone to a potentially fatal aortic aneurysm. Despite Belle’s mother (Jane) denying the condition, Jack and Belle sought a solution, realizing the condition was likely inoperable. Jack eventually found a way after practicing on a cadaver.
The climax of the season features Jack attempting the impossible surgery on an unconscious Belle while Captain Gaines stands over him, gun pointed, ready to shoot the moment the operation is complete. Although Jack was the one with the steady hand and the "genius epiphany" (using a noose-like knot), the confidence to attempt such a difficult procedure came directly from the collaboration and extensive theoretical training he gained working with Belle throughout the series. The operation was a success, leading even Dr. Sneed to admit that Jack was the best surgeon he had ever worked with. The moment Jack finished, Gaines dragged him away. On the way, Fagin intervened, appearing to betray Jack, but ultimately securing his own pardon from Gaines before shooting the captain, delivering justice for those Gaines had wronged, particularly Red.
Resolution: Pardons, Promotions, and Acceptance
Following the chaotic events, Fagin secured the stolen gold back by creating a distraction for Oliver’s carriages. The recovery of the gold saved the governor’s job.
Jack, despite his heroic surgery on Belle, was returned to jail. However, his position had significantly improved since episode 1. Fagin, who landed back in jail with Jack, revealed his scheme was successful: he had secured a pardon from Gaines. The jail scene provided a moment for Jack and Fagin to make up, although Fagin jokingly points out that Jack is now in the position Fagin was in at the beginning of the series—dependent on outside help to be released.
Jack’s release depends on the governor, as Belle’s father may grant him a pardon for saving his daughter’s life. Furthermore, Sneed's acknowledgment of Jack's superiority suggests Jack may be promoted to Chief Surgeon, a standing that would provide him the necessary societal position to marry Belle.
The ending, therefore, is ultimately satisfying and complete. Jack’s successful surgery guarantees his recognition as a talented surgeon, assuring his quick return to practicing medicine. He embraced his full identity—the surgeon who operates with the quick hands of the thief.
🔖 Key Takeaways
🗝️ The Artful Dodger as a Sequel: The Hulu series successfully revives Oliver Twist characters, focusing on Jack Dawkins (the Artful Dodger) as a surgeon grappling with his criminal past in 1850s Australia, offering a fun and dynamic alternative to dark dramas.
🗝️ The Dual Identity: Jack Dawkins successfully integrates his past criminal skills ("quick hands") into his present medical profession, accepting that his dark side contributed fundamentally to his success.
🗝️ Medical Innovation: Jack and Belle Fox, his protégé and eventual love interest, form a revolutionary medical partnership, introducing forbidden practices like anesthetics and infection control to improve patient care.
🗝️ The Unexpected Villain: The series dramatically flips Charles Dickens's characterization by revealing Oliver Twist as the ultimate, ego-driven gold thief, mentored in his evil genius by Fagin.
🗝️ A Secure Future: The series concludes with Fagin securing a pardon and the gold. Jack, though in jail, successfully saved Belle from an inoperable aneurysm, guaranteeing his recognition as a brilliant surgeon and likely leading to a pardon and promotion to Chief Surgeon, allowing him to marry Belle.
🌐 External sources
Keywords: The Artful Dodger Ending Explained
The Artful Dodger Ending Explained
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